Dispenser



2 Sheets-Sheet 2' mm MN M m us mm C'Mfarrafi B B.

DISPENSER Filed Jun e 26, 1941 UiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSERCharles M. Pam; and Richard B. Barrett, Mount Pleasant, Tex.

Application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,880

' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel dispenser, and more particularly to adispenser adapted for use for dispensing pancake batter onto a griddle.

It is a primary aim of the invention to provide a sanitary batterdispenser having a manually actuated valve for opening and closing oneor a number of discharge ports in the bottom of a batter container orhopper for releasin a quantity of batter and to permit the batter todrop by gravity onto a griddle above which the dispenser is disposed.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a dispenser having thesliding valve so constructed that it can be moved to a position forpermitting like quantities of batter to be simultaneously dischargedfrom a plurality of outlet ports of a hopper or container to formpancakes of uniform size, said valve being also arranged to permitbatter to be discharged from only one of the discharge passages, ifdesired.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide spring pressedsupporting means for frictionally holding the sliding valve inengagement with the discharge ports of the hopper or container toprevent leakage of the batter when the valve is in a closed position.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide abutment means forlimiting the extent of movement of the valve in either of twodirections, said abutment means being so arranged that one or aplurality of the discharge ports of the container will be fully exposedwhen the valve has reached its extent of movement in one or the otherdirection in which it is moved.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome'more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, andwherein:

Figure 1 is an end view, partly in section and partly in elevation ofthe dispenser,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same taken substantially along theplan of the line 2-2 of Figure Figure 3 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 ofFigure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewof the dispenser, taken substantially along a plane indicated by theline 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken substantially along a plane indicatedby the line 55 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, l0 designates generally the batter dispenser in itsentirety and which includes a. container or hopper II which is providedwith depending supporting legs' l2. The container H is provided with anopen top and with outwardly projecting flanges l3 at opposite sides ofsaid open top. The container II is provided with a lid l4 havingopposite side edges which are bent downwardly and inwardly to form theportions l5 which are adapted to slidably engage the flanges l3 fordetachably connectin th lid M to the container II, and to prevent thelid M. from being removed by an upward movement relatively to thecontainer ll. Lid I4 is provided with a stop [6 at one end thereof toprevent the lid from being moved, relatively to the container l I, inone direction past a closed position. Lid I4 is provided with a handleI! which is adapted to be grasped for applying or removing the lid, andwhich is also adapted to be grasped for manually supporting thedispenser H], as for example, over a griddle, not shown. The containerH, as best seen in Figure 4, is provided with a substantially flatbottom l8. The side walls of the container I I preferably have inwardlyconverging lower portions I9. The bottom I8 is provided with a pluralityof depending discharge ports 20. In the embodiment of the invention asdisclosed, two of the discharge ports 20 are provided which are arrangedin longitudinal alinement. A plurality of brackets 2| are fastened tothe underside of the bottom I8.' Each of the brackets 2| is providedwith a downwardly ofiset inner end through which extends an upwardlyprojecting set screw 22. The brackets 2| support a supporting frame 23which includes a substantially flat base portion 24 which is disposedagainst the underside of the bottom [8 and which has portions which reston the set screws 22. Set screws 22 are adapted to be advanced fordetachably clamping the base 24 against the bottom l8. Base 24 isprovided with recessed ends through which project the discharge passages20, and said recessed ends are each provided with a pair of dependingU-shaped hangers 25. A follower plate 26 is disposed within each of thepairs of hangers 25. Said follower plates 26 are each provided with twodepending studs 21 which are swivelly connected at their upper ends bythe plates 26 and which are provided at their lower ends with restrictedthreaded shanks 28 which extend through enlarged openings 29 in thebottom or intermediate portions of the U-shaped hanger 25. Cap nuts 30are detachably connected to the shank ends 28, as best seen in Figure 5.An expansion coil spring 3| is mounted on each of the studs 21 and isdisposed between the intermediate portion of a U-shaped hanger 25 and anend of a follower plate 26 so that each of the follower plates 26 isurged upwardly by means of a pair of expansion springs 3|. Each of theexpansion springs 3| is enclosed in a resilient sleeve 32. The ends ofthe sleeves 32 bear against the intermediate portions of the hangers 25and the undersides of the follower plates 26. Each follower plate 26 isprovided with an enlarged opening 32 which is disposed beneath adischarge passage 20 and which is substantially larger in diameter thanthe bore thereof.

An elongated plate 34 is disposed beneath the bottom l8 and has its endsresting upon the follower plates 26 and yieldably supported thereby infrictional engagement with the lower ends of the discharge passages 20.The plate 34 is provided near one end thereof with an opening 35 and anopening 36, which openings are arranged in longitudinal alinement and inspaced relationship relatively to one another. Plate 34, adjacent itsopposite end is provided with a single opening 35, and at said lastmentioned end of the plate 34 is provided a perpendicularly disposedstop member 31 which is attached to or formed integral with said end ofthe plate 34.

An arm 38 is secured to and projects outwardly from the correspondingend of the container H and is provided with a depending free end 39which is disposed in the path of the movement of the stop 31. The hanger25, disposed adjacent the stop 31, is also located in the path thereofso that said hanger and the end 39 form abutments for the stop 31, for apurpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

Plate 34, intermediate of its ends, is provided with a longitudinallydisposed row of openings forming a rack 40.

The base 24, intermediate of its ends, is provided with depending ears4|, at the side edges thereof, which are provided with alined openings,forming bearings, for journaling a shaft 42 which extends therethrough.The shaft 42 is prevented from sliding relatively to the ears 4| bymeans of collars 43 which are keyed to the shaft 42 and which engage theouter sides of the ears 4|. An interrupted gear or pinion 44 is keyed tothe intermediate portion of the shaft 42 and is disposed so that theteeth thereof are arranged to mesh with the rack 40, and as seen inFigure 3, the rack 40 is provided with the same number of openings asthe gear 44 has teeth. To one end of the shaft 42 is keyed a thumb knob45 by means of which the shaft 42 is adapted to be manually revolved ineither direction for reciprocating the plate 34 relativel to thedischarge passages 20.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by turning the knob 45 to turnthe shaft 42 and the pinion 44 in a counterclockwise direction, as seenin Figure 3, the plate 34 can be moved to the left, from its position ofFigure 3 until the stop 31 abuts against the hanger 25, disposedadjacent thereto. When this occurs the openings 35 will each registerwith the bore of an outlet passage 20 to permit corresponding amounts ofbatter to be discharged from the passages 20 and onto a griddle disposedtherebeneath to form pancakes of uniform sizes. By returning the plate34 to an intermediate position, as seen in Figure 3, by rotation of theshaft 42 in the opposite direction, both passages 20 will be closed toprevent escape of the batter, not shown, therethrough. If it is desiredto discharge batter for a single pancake, this can be accomplished bycontinuing the clockwise rotation of the shaft 42 until the stop 31abuts against the end 39 of the arm 38, at which time the opening 36will register with the passage 20, adjacent to which it is disposed, forpermitting the batter for a single cake to be discharged from thecontainer l I. It will thus be Seen that batter for either one or twocakes may be discharged, as desired. Obviously, the container could beenlarged and provided with additional openings 20, and the plate 34,which forms a valve, could then be provided with additional openings 35and 36 to function in conjunction with the additional discharge passages20 which are provided. Likewise, if desired, a plurality of valve plates34 could be provided, in which case the shaft 42 could be provided witha plurality of pinions 44 or more than one shaft 42 could be provided,if desired.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and mayobviously be resorted to, provided they fall Within the spirit and scopeof the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as onlyone embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

We claim as our invention:

1. A pancake batter dispenser comprising a container for batter having aplurality of depending outlet passages in the bottom thereof, means forsupporting the container in an elevated position, a frame detachablymounted on the underside of said container, said frame having dependinghangers at the ends thereof, an elongated plate disposed beneath thecontainer, spring pressed follower means supported by said hangers foryieldably supporting said plate in frictional engagement with the lowerends of said outlet passages, said plate being provided withlongitudinally spaced openings, and manually operated means supported bysaid frame for reciprocating the plate for moving its openings into andout of registry with said outlet passages.

2. A batter dispenser as in claim 1, comprising abutment means forlimiting the extent of the sliding movement of said plate, said abutmentmeans being so arranged that each of the outlet passages will be exposedwhen the plate has reached the limit of its movement in one direction,and so that one of the outlet passages only will be exposed when theplate has reached its limit of movement in the opposite direction.

3. A dispenser for pancake batter and the like comprising a portablehopper, for containing the batter, provided with a discharge conduit inthe bottom thereof, a frame detachably mounted beneath the hopper, areciprocating valve disposed beneath said hopper and supported by theframe, means, forming a part of the frame, for yieldably holding saidvalve in frictional engagement with the outlet end of said dischargeconduit, said valve being provided with an opening, and manuallyactuated means for reciprocating said valve relatively to said dischargeconduit for moving said opening into and out of registry therewith.

RICHARD B. BARRETT. CHARLES M. PARROT'I,

